Debao County of Guangxi, a small county thousands of miles away from Shenzhen, has established the "friendship" with Shenzhen Samii Medical Center ("SSMC") since this year.

"We never imagined that Debao County would be so closely connected with the metropolis thousands of miles away." A medical worker at the People's Hospital of Debao County said with emotion. On October 22, 2022, the SSMC team drove for 15 hours and set foot in the mountains, just to "deliver" the high-level medical services to the Public in Debao County.

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01

Shenzhen speed was experienced at the time of the first support action

Debao County is located in Baise City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Although this deeply impoverished county has been lifted out of poverty in 2020, it is still listed in the list of key counties to receive assistance in pursuing rural revitalization due to weak foundation of transportation capacity and natural conditions. It is located in the Da Shi-shan Region, with overlapping peaks, more mountains and less land, so the transportation is inconvenient. Hence, it is not easy for local residents to come to the county for medical treatment, and it is even more unimaginable to go to the provincial capital or even first-tier cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen for medical treatment.

Therefore, how to ensure that "serious diseases get treated in the county, common diseases get treated in the township, and minor diseases get treated in the village" is a difficult task that the local people's government and the Health Bureau are striving to tackle. "We must get through the 'last mile' of health." Since May of this year, according to the requirements of the Work Plan on "Team-based" Support to the People's Hospitals in the Key Counties to Receive Assistance in Pursuing Rural Revitalization jointly issued by 10 departments including the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee and the National Health Commission, SSMC and the People's Hospital of Debao County formally formed a "team-based" support relationship.

"WANG Cheng, CPC Secretary, came to investigate on May 20, and only 10 days later, the first batch of expert teams from SSMC already arrived at Debao County." In order to achieve precise support and gain an in-depth understanding of the actual needs of the People's Hospital of Debao County and local people, WANG Cheng (CPC Secretary, Legal Representative, and Deputy Hospital Director of SSMC) went to the People's Hospital of Debao County to make on-the-spot investigation and quickly deployed follow-up work. CEN Jiawei, Director of the Debao Health Bureau, sighed with emotion: "At that time, we really experienced - what the Shenzhen speed is!"

The picture shows CEN Jiawei, Director of the Debao Health Bureau

"First, determine the department that is in urgent need of key assistance, and we will send experts." After detailed investigation, SSMC successively dispatched 7 experts and physicians from the Office of Medical Services, Office of Nursing Services, Medical Ultrasound Department, Obstetrics & Gynecology Department, Anesthesiology Department, Diagnostic Laboratory, and Health Maintenance Department to the People's Hospital of Debao County for support. Dr. CHEN Min was also sent to serve as the hospital director of the People's Hospital of Debao County. "Dr. CHEN Min is the former Senior Medical Officer of SSMC. Therefore, Dr. CHEN Min has rich experience in standardizing hospital management, doing a good job in discipline construction and talent construction, and improving the quality of hospital diagnosis and service."

The picture shows CHEN Min, the former Senior Medical Officer of SSMC and now the Hospital Director of the People's Hospital of Debao County

In just 4 months after the official support, the SSMC team carried out the following work in the People's Hospital of Debao County:

• 15 difficult case discussions 

• 20 teaching rounds 

• 80 surgical demonstrations 

• 700 people participated in various diagnosis and control training and intra-department training 

• More than 450 households signed contracts with family physicians

But to support a hospital, just a few people are not enough. From "one person" supporting Guangxi to "one hospital" supporting Guangxi, more people are needed.

02

"How to implement the support work is a question I have been thinking about"

From SSMC to the People's Hospital of Debao County, the distance is nearly 1,000 kilometers, and the bus needs to travel for 15 hours. Therefore, the support team must set off at sunrise, otherwise they will not be able to reach Debao County on the same day. At 6:00 a.m. on October 22, the team of experts from SSMC set off from the hospital and went to Debao County to carry out "team-based" support work.

"It can be said that it is a luxury lineup." Among this team of experts, there is a 70-year-old physician and experts who have practiced medicine for more than 50 years. Among them, there are many department directors, key personnel and experienced old experts and professors. In an interview with the official convergence media of Debao County, WANG Cheng of SSMC said: "It is not easy for us to come here. But we still need to organize and invite this team of experts to Debao County to implement the support work."

The picture shows WANG Cheng of SSMC being interviewed by convergence media in Debao County

The specific contents of the support work are:

First, bring technology to Debao County. The most direct way to bring diagnosis and treatment technology to Debao County is to let experts and professors come to Debao County for outpatient services and academic lectures.

Second, lead the team to train talents. When the team of experts from SSMC came to Debao County, they could establish a closer cooperative relationship with the relevant departments of the People's Hospital of Debao County, guide them to improve their professional skills and make occupational planning, and truly achieve "support with ambition" and "support with wisdom".

Third, in-depth understanding of health needs. Through free clinics and ward rounds, we can gain a deeper understanding of the health needs of the public in Debao County. We will provide what they need, making the support work more targeted.

"SSMC and the People's Hospital of Debao County are separated by thousands of mountains and rivers. How to implement the support work is a question I have been thinking about." WANG Cheng said.

03

There is nothing lacking here

What is lacking may be concepts

"There is nothing lacking in Debao County. If I have to say what is lacking, I think it is concept." The words of WANG Cheng in the Hospital Directors' Forum resonated with the health workers present. In order to bring the advanced medical concepts in the first-tier city of Shenzhen, especially the innovative concept of Sino-foreign cooperation of SSMC to Debao County, the team of experts from SSMC held a series of medical exchange activities, such as the Hospital Directors' Forum, equipment donation, and academic lectures in the conference room of the People's Hospital of Debao County on October 23. All the medical staff of the People's Hospital of Debao County, as well as representatives of medical staff sent by the Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Debao County, the Hospital of traditional Chinese Medicine, and various township health centers attended the meeting.

In the Hospital Directors' Forum, WANG Cheng emphasized on the issue of "concept", and introduced in detail the innovative practices and achievements of SSMC in hospital management and construction. "We are committed to truly bringing technology and expertise to Debao County, providing comprehensive medical security for the public in Debao County, and sincerely dedicating our love and technology to the public in Debao County without reservation."

The picture shows WANG Cheng (Secretary of SSMC) delivering a speech at the Hospital Directors' Forum

"The team of experts from SSMC took advantage of weekend breaks to come to Debao County, thousands of miles away from Shenzhen, which moved us very much." NONG Lize, Head of the People's Government of Debao County, mentioned at the meeting that the action by the team of SSMC to the People's Hospital of Debao County will help the public in Debao County so that they do not need to seek medical treatment from afar, and the technology and concept they brought will provide significant assistance for the primary medical team to improve their medical level. "We must firmly seize the favorable opportunity of this assistance, strengthen our own medical capabilities, and significantly improve the sense of gain, happiness, and security of the public in Debao County."

The picture shows NONG Lize, Head of the People's Government of Debao County, delivering a speech at the meeting

Subsequently, SSMC donated medical equipment worth about RMB 3.37 million to the People's Hospital of Debao County, including electrocardiographs, defibrillator monitors, multi-parameter monitors, specimen centrifuges, ventilators, automatic paunch flushers, and other equipment. "I have never seen such a beautiful and practical medical consultation bed! The equipment donated by SSMC has greatly improved our efficiency of diagnosis and treatment."

The picture shows a batch of medical equipment worth about CNY 3.37 million donated by WANG Cheng to the People's Hospital of Debao County

At the same time, 10 experts from different fields of SSMC gave wonderful academic sharing lectures at the meeting. "For me, this is an academic feast that I rarely have the opportunity to participate in. Also, I have continuously acquired too much knowledge in a short period of time, so I need to go back and digest it." The medical staff of the People's Hospital of Debao County could not help sighing after participating in the exchange activities.

04

From "primary medical care for those in need" to "excellent medical care for those in need"

We are still working on it

Debao County has a total population of 360,000, inhabited by 9 ethnic groups including Zhuang, Han, and Yao, among which the Zhuang ethnic group accounts for 98% of the population, and a considerable number of people are distributed in the deep mountains and forests. Therefore, inconvenient transportation and difficulty in seeking medical services are two major problems experienced by ethnic minority compatriots. "Now, I can receive treatment from experienced experts from Shenzhen in Debao County!" After hearing that the team of experts from SSMC will provide free medical services at the People's Hospital of Debao County on October 23, the local people lined up in the waiting corridor of the hospital early in the morning, and many of them came from different villages.

"It is convenient for us to seek medical services after experts come to Debao County. I am from the countryside, and it is not easy for me to get to the county seat." Ms. LIU (pseudonym), 48-year-old, is a member of the Yao ethnic group, and has suffered from insomnia for two years. But when she heard that a group of medical experts from Shenzhen were coming to Debao County for free medical services, she would come to seek medical services regardless of the distance. Soon, the experts made a detailed treatment plan for her. Thus, Ms. LIU could receive the stable treatment under limited conditions.

"I am a member of the Zhuang ethnic group, and I cannot speak Mandarin well." Mr. HUANG (pseudonym), who participated in the free clinic, is a native Zhuang member in Debao County. When he first heard that the experts were from Shenzhen, he hesitated, worried that it would be difficult to communicate. When he arrived at the free clinic site, he found that there were not only experts from Shenzhen in the consulting room, but also physicians from the People's Hospital of Debao County. Local physicians acted as "interpreters" and experts from SSMC as guidance. "This disease has not been cured for a long time, but the experts from Shenzhen helped me find the cause immediately."

After providing the free medical services in the morning, the team of experts from SSMC did not rest in the afternoon. They went to relevant departments and wards for rounds, exchange and guidance. For typical cases, the experts drawn upon their past experience to find out the shortcomings and summarize the problems. Throughout the whole process, they taught each other everything they knew. "Although Prof. LIU Sheng is 70 years old, he can empathize with patients and be very strict and rigorous in his work. In less than a day with him, I have regarded him as my teacher."

"With the strong support of SSMC, our hospital has overcome shortcomings and improved treatment efficiency, and hopes to improve medical quality, medical safety, medical environment, diagnosis and treatment standards, and service levels in the future, so that the public in Debao County can experience from primary medical care for those in need to excellent medical care for those in need." LU Jianzhong, CPC Secretary of the People's Hospital of Debao County, said.

WANG Cheng, CPC Secretary, emphasized when deploying the work: "In the next stage, we will continue to send experienced physicians and experts to Debao County. At the same time, according to the needs of the People's Hospital of Debao County, we will carry out practical support in various forms such as free medical services, remote consultation, and advanced training."

Taking the aided area as their hometown and the local people as relatives, the SSMC team will continue to win the trust of patients with "benevolence, love, and patience" and protect the health of local residents. "This is the sense of mission and achievement of being a physician, and we will create a 'Samii whirlwind' in Debao County."